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May 17 Plans moving forward to activate Creative Salon space for the summer

After sitting empty for nearly two years, the Creative Salon could be coming back to life in time for the summer.

Property owner Helen Roland confirmed this week that she is working with two groups interested in temporarily using the site for exhibition space. The property, located at the corner of 1st Avenue and 4th Street Southwest in downtown Rochester, was home of the grassroots arts group C4 from 2013-15.

If all goes to plan, Gallery 24, an artist collaborative that displays its work in Forager Brewery, would use the building for a temporary installation. Doing so would give the group, which is now in the hunt for a permanent space, the chance to test out its vision.

"This would give them an opportunity to try it out, get their feet wet, see what works, and tweak what doesn't," said Roland.

Reached by email, Gallery 24 curator Cassandra Buck confirmed she is working with Roland on potentially using the space for the summer, but declined to comment on specifics. A formal announcement will be made by early June, she said.

Outside the building, Roland is in talks with local entrepreneur David Hewitt for a project to activate the parking lot. Hewitt said he was still waiting for permits to be approved before revealing the details of the project. However, he said it would be an exhibit focused on historic preservation. More information could be released in the coming weeks, Hewitt said.

The goal is to showcase both installations through the summer. By fall, Roland she said would revisit the site's use depending on future plans for the property. A nine-story development has been proposed for the site, though a timeline for the project remains unclear.